Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends.

"That Soul Master's fourth Soul Skill from the Beast Academy looks quite powerful, so how come it's like paper when it comes to that little moon?"

"Is this the strength of a Soul King? It's not even in the same league!"

"Team Tiandou is too strong this year! They seem to have the strength to contend for the championship!"

The cheers belonged to the audience and supporters of the Heaven Dou Empire, while the Soul Masters and people of other empires were more shocked and solemn.

Lin Wan's effortless and almost overwhelming strength cast a shadow over all potential opponents.

On the high platform, Bibi Dong remained expressionless, but her deep purple eyes seemed to linger on Lin Wan for a longer time than before. No one knew what she was thinking.

"We won! We won!" Yu Tianqing laughed heartily, walked to Lin Wan's side, and patted him on the shoulder forcefully. "Not bad, Lin Wan, your soul skill is getting more and more beautiful!"

Ning Zetian also came over, her gentle face showing approval: "Your control over soul power has improved again, congratulations."

Lin Wan nodded slightly to the two of them, her face showing no smugness, as if her earth-shattering attack just now was nothing more than a casual gesture.

"Let's go back."

……

The Star Luo Empire, Star Luo City.

Several days later, news of Dai Mubai's escape from Xingluo still came out.

After all, anyone would be suspicious if a prince hadn't shown his face for several days, especially one who was a favorite to seize the throne.

The message seemed to have grown wings, flying throughout the noble mansions of all sizes in Xingluo City.

All the princes and nobles were astonished by Dai Mubai's defection. They couldn't understand why a prince would flee Xingluo.

This was completely beyond their understanding of royal competition.

Shouldn't the princes of Xingluo be iron-blooded tough guys who would rather die standing than live kneeling?

run away?

This is simply a disgrace to the centuries-old tradition of the Xingluo royal family.

Many nobles and royalty who had placed bets on Dai Mubai were cursing him in their hearts at this moment, unable to believe that he would be such a coward.

Previously, seeing Dai Mubai's cultivation advance by leaps and bounds, they were secretly glad that they had bet on the right horse, thinking that this third prince might really be able to create a miracle and overthrow Davis's rule.

To this end, they invested resources, paid favors, and even risked offending Davis's faction in secret.

But now, Dai Mubai has run away.

All their efforts and expectations vanished with Dai Mubai's escape, becoming a huge joke.

Not only did they lose everything, but they also had to face Davis's subsequent reckoning.

"Useless! Absolutely useless!"

"I thought he was tougher than his older brother, but it turns out he's just a spineless coward!"

"It's all over, everything's over..."

Curses and swears echoed in the private study and the corner of the banquet, filled with regret and panic.

Meanwhile, inside the Zhu residence.

Zhu Zhuqing also learned of this news.

She was sitting in her courtyard, engaging in her daily, unwavering soul power meditation.

When the maid cautiously told her the rumors she had heard outside, her soul power suddenly stagnates, and she almost chokes.

She slowly opened her eyes, and a hint of surprise flashed in the depths of her dark pupils, which was then replaced by a deeper, colder emotion.

That was the absurdity of being betrayed, and the long-suppressed hatred erupting like a volcano.

Her hatred for Dai Mubai deepened. Zhu Zhuqing hadn't expected that Dai Mubai would run away from Xingluo because of the pressure. Before, when she saw Dai Mubai's cultivation level rising rapidly, she had thought there was hope, and that they might be able to win.

Yes, she had wavered before.

Seeing that Dai Mubai's soul power level could still rise rapidly under that disguise of indulgence, a faint ripple stirred in the stagnant pool of despair in her heart.

Perhaps this fiancé isn't as bad as he seems.

Perhaps there really is a sliver of a chance that this duo can escape this damned fate.

But Zhu Zhuqing did not expect the attack to come so quickly; Dai Mubai had actually escaped.

Run away.

These two words were like a red-hot branding iron, burning fiercely on her heart.

He left, he simply walked away.

Did he ever consider what she would face if he left her in Xingluo?

How will Davis view her as Dai Mubai's fiancée?

How would Zhu Zhuyun mock her?

What did he take her for? A piece of trash that he could throw away at any time?

A chilling rage surged from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, causing Zhu Zhuqing's slender fingers to tremble slightly.

She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

What should she do? Dai Mubai had never considered her situation.

Since you are ruthless, don't blame me for being unjust.

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly stood up, the last trace of hesitation and doubt in her dark eyes completely severed, replaced by an almost resolute calmness.

Dai Mubai is unreliable, her family is unreliable, and the rules of Xingluo will crush her.

She can only rely on herself.

Since that's the case, she doesn't care about anything else in order to survive.

Zhu Zhuqing stood up and walked to the dressing table.

The mirror reflected a face that still retained a childlike innocence, yet already possessed a cool and aloof appearance.

She picked up a comb and meticulously combed her long hair, which had been slightly disheveled due to the stagnation of her soul power.

The movements were smooth and steady, without the slightest tremor.

Since Dai Mubai chose to run away, leaving her alone in the huge arena of Xingluo, she had nothing to hesitate about and nothing to worry about.

Unable to rely on others, she had to make a living on her own.

Zhu Zhuqing straightened her clothes, smoothed out the last wrinkle, then pushed open the door and went out.

She had only taken a few steps out of the room when a voice filled with undisguised sarcasm rang out from the side.

"Oh, isn't this my dear sister? Why aren't you in your room grieving for your brilliant fiancé? You're in the mood to come out?"

Chapter 202 Return to Sunset Forest

Zhu Zhuqing stopped in her tracks and slowly turned her head.

Zhu Zhuyun was leaning against a pillar not far away, arms crossed, watching her with a leisurely air.

Zhu Zhuyun wore a bright smile, a smile full of pleasure and undisguised schadenfreude.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's face turn cold instantly, she felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. She never expected, absolutely never, that Dai Mubai would run away!

This was like a pie falling from the sky, knocking her unconscious.

"When I first heard the message, I thought I had misheard it."

Zhu Zhuyun approached with elegant steps, her voice not loud, but clear enough to reach Zhu Zhuqing's ears, carrying a chilling sensation like a viper's hiss.

"Dai Mubai, the third prince of our Star Luo Empire, one of our future hopes, actually ran away like that? Like a frightened rabbit, he fled Star Luo City overnight? Haha, hahaha..."

She finally couldn't help but chuckle softly, a laugh like a silver bell, yet chilling to the bone.

"My dear sister, how are you feeling right now? Are you especially disappointed? Especially desperate?"

Zhu Zhuyun walked up to Zhu Zhuqing, leaned down slightly, and whispered in her ear that only the two of them could hear.

"Your only hope is gone. He's now a complete coward, a deserter! And you, his fiancée, have become the laughingstock of the entire Star Luo City!"

Zhu Zhuqing's hands, hanging by her sides, clenched slightly, her nails digging into her palms, causing a slight stinging pain.

But her face remained expressionless; she simply raised her eyes and coldly looked at Zhu Zhuyun, who was standing close by.

His gaze was so calm, as still as a stagnant pool, that it made Zhu Zhuyun's smile freeze for a moment.

"Are you done talking?"

Zhu Zhuqing spoke, her voice as calm and even as her eyes.

Zhu Zhuyun straightened up, snorted coldly, and tried to regain the initiative.

"What? Can't take the blow? You can't even speak anymore? If I were you, I'd find somewhere to hide right now, so I don't embarrass myself."

“It’s Dai Mubai who’s making a fool of himself, not me,” Zhu Zhuqing said calmly.

"What does his choice have to do with me?"

Zhu Zhuyun was taken aback by her words, then flew into a rage: "What's it to you? You're his fiancée! He ran away, and you're the one who got dumped! A loser and a coward, what a perfect match!"

"Say what you want." Zhu Zhuqing stopped looking at her, turned around, and left.

"I'm going to read now, please make yourself at home, sister."

Seeing her seemingly unmoved and as if nothing had happened, Zhu Zhuyun felt as if she had punched a cotton ball, and her chest felt extremely tight.

She sternly shouted at Zhu Zhuqing's retreating figure, "Zhu Zhuqing, how much longer do you think you can struggle? Dai Mubai is finished, and so are you! Just accept your fate. Maybe in the future, if I'm in a good mood, I can beg Prince Weiss to spare your life and let you be his concubine!"

Zhu Zhuqing paused for a moment, without turning around, her hands clenched tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

As Zhu Zhuyun watched the departing figure, the smile on her face slowly faded, replaced by a cold glint.

Zhu Zhuqing's reaction made her very unhappy.

That calmness, that indifference, provoked her more than an angry rebuttal.

"Even when you're about to die, you're still putting on an act." She muttered under her breath and turned to leave.

She had to send a message to Davis: Dai Mubai had run away, and this was the best opportunity to completely crush Zhu Zhuqing.

She wanted to strike while the iron was hot and completely eliminate any possibility of Zhu Zhuqing making a comeback.

……

Meanwhile, after several days, Dai Mubai finally returned to Sunset Forest.

He and Huo An stood at the edge of the forest, gazing at the seemingly endless, dark green sea of ​​trees shrouded in a faint miasma.

The brief rest calmed Dai Mubai's rapid breathing a little, but the fatigue and tension from days of fleeing were still etched on his brow. His clothes were torn in several places by tree branches, stained with mud and dried blood, making him look even more disheveled than when he last came.

"Your Highness, stay close."

Hoan's voice was lower and hoarse than usual. He made his way and stepped into the dimly lit woodland first.

Having learned from the previous experience, this trip, though still difficult, was less filled with blind fear.

With his Soul Emperor-level perception and memory of the route, Huo An avoided as many abnormal and chaotic energy fluctuations and known powerful soul beast territories as possible.

The air was filled with the smell of decaying leaves and damp mud, mixed with a faint, sweet, fishy, ​​and foul odor.

Beneath your feet are tangled tree roots and a soft layer of humus; every step requires extreme caution.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the faint sounds of the two of them crunching on dry branches and fallen leaves, and the sound of their own suppressed breathing and heartbeats.

Dai Mubai followed closely behind Huo An, his nerves still on edge.

He knew that the tranquility of the forest was only a facade, and that countless deadly dangers lurked in the shadows.

The terrifying experience of encountering the swarm of human-faced spiders was still vivid in his mind. The despair of being stared at by countless bloodthirsty compound eyes and being swarmed by spider silk like a death wave made his palms slightly damp.

He forced himself not to think about it, focusing all his attention on the road beneath his feet and Hoan's back.

His soul power was somewhat stagnant due to continuous consumption and tension, but he dared not relax in the slightest.

Along the way, they encountered a group of century-old ghost vines foraging for food. The vines, as if alive, silently emerged from the shadows from all directions, attempting to entangle their prey.

Huo An reacted extremely quickly, instantly possessing the Fiery Lion Martial Soul. With a low roar, his scorching soul power erupted, burning the first Ghost Vine that rushed in to a charred black and curled up.

Dai Mubai immediately released his White Tiger Martial Soul, his sharp claws lashing out. Working together with Huo An, the two fought and retreated, not daring to linger in the battle, and quickly got rid of the group of troublesome plant-type soul beasts.